MayBeNow

Only been once in Vietnam, in 2000. Stayed for a month. Never been back. Stunning countryside, beautiful highlands and hill tribe villages. Much more beautiful then Thailand overall. Love the food also. But i dont like the people much. Found them combative. Could sense the Indo Chinese cultural divide.

Whoops

I dont think i understand the question.. You really ask if you can live on a full western pension and 220k in a country less then a quarter of the living costs compared to where you live now? Will be tight, will be tight.

A good friend of my wife went with her aging (around 80 years) parents to the hospital to get vaccinated. After a few days the 3 of them got covid. Daughter guesses that they got it queing for hours at the hospital. Ofcourse the parents were fine after a short stint in hospital. The overweight daughter noticed almost nothing. Gotta remember covid is 99% (social media) hype and 1% danger. Danger shoved through the sheeples troats by big pharma and big tech promoted by our spineless politicians too afraid to take a different stance out of fear being cancelled.

I think there are very few foreigners that have a Thai male friend, a buddy, a mate. The only time i came close to having male buddies i had in Myanmar. People seem more open minded there in my opinion, can be the legacy of colonialism. In my own country we are inundated with foreigners, i dont care at all about them, the males i mostly loath, i just dont want to interact with 98%. I know i aint political correct but it is what it is. It might be Thai guys feel the same about us... i guess so... Basically we come here and bang their sisters, not so nice for them now is it?

So your under the assumption Thai people want democracy? What I always found striking in SE Asia was the almost universal rejection of Western style democracy by almost all people i spoke with about politics. I cant remember a single one of them saying they want democracy. Fun facts: since the abolishment of absolute monarchy in 1932 Thailand had 13 succesful coups, 65 years of retired or serving military and only 24 years of elected prime ministers. You can google the state of the Thai economy in 1932 and compare it to 2021. I dislike military rule but its nonsense to think they never did well. The real problem in Thailand is paternalism. There was a certain person for decades preaching self sufficientcy while enriching to be the richest of the world among peers. In my opinion that person is a major cause for lots of Thailands issues.

No man, its way way waaaaayyyy simpler!!!! There is no grand design to ruin the tourism industry. The problem is there is NO GRAND DESIGN. We are run by, and elect ourself, dreamers, incompetent bums looking at most 6 months ahead. Dont think lockdowns are remotely scientific. What i do know is some industries with limitless political influence are breaking the bank because of covid, big pharma, big tech. They happily keep the fear mongering going. Concerning the Thai government. Do you think you getting fired up changes a thing? No you dont, your smart. Yet you hope another group running the show will change Thailand. It wont.... I see Thai politicians as Thai soaps, they are all the same, all are childish, dont watch. Mike, really, my simple advice is to quit watching news for a prolonged time, take distance.

If the OP wouldnt care about people that dont care about him (Thai leaders) and Thai things (government, army) he could have a care free life. My advice to regain your happiness is to take a 1 year break from all sources of news, including forums. No more covid <deleted>, no more tales of corruption, no more army guys masquarading as honorable politicians for the common good. Let it be. It will take an effort to not read news nor watch it, but you do have a spine right? Is it really worth feeling miserable over politicians and governance? You really think too mutt.

I remember the moment in school when we were showed letters, and the magic of making words with it. I felt very excited. I started reading the newspaper at 7 or 8, i was the first to grab it at 16.00 as it arrived. I went straight to the foreign news section. Now i am 45, havent seen the tv news in 13 years, didnt read a newspaper in as long. Corporate media, MSM as its called is drive by alarmism, by stoking up fears. People will watch the alarmist news because they are afraid. Bad news sells much better then good news. More viewers means higher profits. Alarmism is profitable. Be it climate change, covid, (perceived) racism, a 'dangerous' middle eastern 'madman' 'war on drugs', 'terrorism' etc.. Once the alarmist wheels are set in motion it hardly can be stopped anymore. The alarmist news industry (media, 'scientists', politicians etc..) produces so much 'facts' that they inundate and bury any sane rational approach. The sad effect of alarmism is that it is self enforcing. Generations are brought up believing the alarmist views, and fighting the Great Dangers. While in reality the dangers are not that great. Its rather amusing to have come to the conclusion we are all being played by the puppeteers. I dont mind it, i just partake little.

Man, this was a fun and entertaining read, from all sides, thanks all.

I hope that everyone that got his covid vaccine shot will from now onwards start to finally behave responsibly and take his yearly flu shot. For as long as you lived you took the many hundreds of thousands of yearly flu deaths for granted, while you knew you could vaccinate. But you just didnt care enough now did you? You are partly responsible for the millions upon millions of flu deaths in your life time. So take your responsibility from now onwards, take your yearly flu shot, mask up if someone coughs and together we will eradicate the flu. Over and out. P.s. best is to double mask 24/7 the rest of your life, lets eradicate flu together, that mass killer for millennia.

Nothing to do with that. In a relation you can not have just your way, especially not in an intercultural relation. Ofcourse you can try and have your way and ignore your wifes culture and wishes. How resentful do you think you will make her? And how will you be treated in return?

So you thought you would be an immigrant into a country comparable with your own? Your starting to realise you didnt. Your fighting hand and tooth against reality, the angry and denial phase. In the end you will be extremely frustrated and bitter, or you give up and concentrate on your own circle of influence, which will give you much more joy in life. I reckon you wont give up.

Very common and normal in Asia and nothing weird about it to them. My wife slept in bed with her aunt till 18. She did have her own seperate room for years but more sanuk to sleep with auntie. My ex gf brother slept in bed with his mum till the same age, very nice smart guy. He could have had his own bedroom. First you have to convince your wife, because your son likely will cause some drama if banished from HIS bed. So good luck getting your bed back..

Covid is not even a pandemic, it doesnt deserve that name. Its a corporate media created 'breaking news' cashcow. In cahoots with big tech that DOUBLED their net worth since covid started. Not to mention the big pharma industry, you know, the ones that created the opiod crisis killing many tens of thousand a year for corporate gain. They all have the most inspiring incentive too keep the covid madness going for as long as possible: money, big fat money. Ah well, to be honest i find how people/countries react to covid highly amusing; like a chicken that just lost its head. Its a spectacle i wouldnt have wanted to miss. Taking a bit long now though, time to hang 'm high.